KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has quashed the government's move to slash the RTPCR rate for testing Covid in the state. A single bench of the high court asked the government to reconsider the decision slashing the rate to Rs 500 and to fix a new rate after holding talks with the lab owners. The court has also cancelled the order to file a criminal case against those who did not comply with the government order.

The private lab owners had approached the court against the action of the government. The lab owners mentioned in the plea that the government's action in fixing the rates was not legal. The government reduced the RTPCR rate to Rs 500 following complaints of private labs charging exorbitant rates for testing. The government informed the court that the cost of the equipment required for the test in the market was only Rs 240 and that the rates were reduced after assessing this. The state had earlier charged Rs 1,700 for RTPCR test.